GOODBYE JOHN HOWARD!!! Anyone else elated by this?

Answer 1

I can hold my head high again and proudly proclaim myself Australian, and my kids have a future.
And no more 51st state status !!!!!

Of course this could have been avoided if Johnny had just LISTENED to the peoples concerns instead of pushing his own right-wing agenda or Costello had had the balls to take Howard on and had wrested the leadership from him.But he didn't and I can't possibly give a vote to someone with no gonads...
My God!!! Dubya will be beside himself - first he lost control of congress now he's lost control of Australia....

Answer 2

re: caution, !Peace dude!, ausblue, benk969, & Hamster;

1) Don't accuse Labour voters of voting ALP because they will throw money at us; that is what the Liberals did with tax cut after tax cut from a budget that couldn't cover public education, hospitals, etc. And every time there was a tax cut, there was an interest rise. Hmmmm, doesn't look like interest rate rises are only a Labour problem.

2) How can you claim Australia should never vote in an "learner" government, with no experience at running the country's economy? That's exactly what happened when the Lib's won 11 years ago - I didn't see John Howard saying "No, I can't run the economy, I'm inexperienced!!!" And yet even John Howard admitted that the economy (when they "inherited" it) was "good, in some points very good." And blaming Paul Keating for "the recession Australia had to have" is ridiculous - it was a world-wide recession, and no other government blamed him for it. It would make as much sense as blaming Howard for the economic slump post September 11.

3) Goodbye to jobs? Do you realise that John Howard lowered the official Unemployment Rate by lowering the judging standard so that if you are working 1 hour in a fortnight you are officially employed? Are you also forgetting that under WorkChoices several people around Australia have lost their job with either no reason given or "Operational Reasons"?

4) Have you given any thought that perhaps the reason that some people voted Rudd was that they have not forgotten the outright lies that Howard has used?
"A GST will never be part of a Liberal policy."
"Never ever?"
"Never ever, it's dead" And yet there is a GST.
Consider also the Children Overboard saga, with John Howard claiming that he had on his desk an official report from the military that stated unequivocably that the children had been thrown overboard - despite the fact the real official report stated nothing of the like, and the source that he claimed wrote the report on his desk never wrote any report on event. Consider also the AWB scandal, or the "Who do you trust to keep interest rates low". Heck, he even lied to his own 2nd in command about retiring in '06, claiming "that was a non-core promise." Face it, with all the exposed lies there are many people in Australia who no longer trust him.

5) WorkChoices - I am sorry, they are just wrong! Are you aware that if anyone strikes - like the rail workers in WA - the Federal Government can fine them over $20,000? How is this right? If the economy is so strong, why can't the common employees share in the gains? Howard wanted to have an IR policy similar to the United States - I am sorry but I do not want to be like a country where the minimum wage is less than it was 40 years ago, and where there is such a high rate of people who are homeless simply because they could no longer afford a place to live. That is not the type of economy I want - do you? If you think WorkChoices is so good, are you willing to be told you are now going to be working harder, for longer hours plus all public holidays, for considerably less, with the knowledge that at any time the boss could fire you for "operational reasons", with no other safety net than a government appointed ombudsman that is already overloaded with AWAs they need to check? I'm not.

6) The majority of Australians did not want a full sale of Telstra. Howard ignored them.
The majority of Australians did not want WorkChoices. Howard ignored them.
The majority of Australians did not want Australia involved in the war in Iraq. Howard ignored them.
The majority of Australians wanted Australia to ratify the Kyoto Protocols. Howard ignored them.
The majority of Australians did not want nuclear reactors. Howard ignored them.
Is it any wonder the majority of Australians did not want to re-elect John Howard, even in his own electorate?

Answer 3

Im with Molly on this one, such a happy day!

Perhaps the liberal supporters out there might learn that the economy and interest rates were rising already due to large amount of borrowing and spending from us the people. So if this is part of the problem perhaps we should look at the banks and ask them why they are allowing the people of Australia to borrow large amounts of money that they cant even jump over?
It doesnt matter what government was going into power, this problem was always going to be there.

Why dont we let the labor government have a go first before we shoot them down. Isnt Australia about a fair go. Besides we have given Howard and his team a fair go for 11 years!

Answer 4

I'm glad he's gone, but look at the damage he's done. It's like a bomb has hit our schools, universities and hospitals, we're in an unwinnable and totally immoral war and in the midst of climbing domestic ethnic tension. We've got contracts for millions of tonnes of uranium in sale to both India and China and no means to make sure that uranium is not used for weapons and we've got no privacy and easily abused police powers, including the ability to arrest and detain without evidence.

Yuck.

Still it's going to be nice to see some ethics in our government again, i am absolutely sickened by the fervour for money at any cost that has been the status quo of the Howard administration.

Answer 5

What a great day it is!! Finally get rid of that weasel from office and he loses his own seat!!
Today is the start of the Ruddera!! The Australians have spoken against the illegal AWA's, we want the Kyoto signed and feel its time to bury the hatchet (so to speak) and make ends to our indigenous Australians.
It was awesome last night at Nicole Cornes campaign HQ's watching the count and seeing a history making Labor victory!!

Can't wait until the new senate is sworn it next July and those illegal / unfair /unAustralian "workchoices" are ripped up and thrown into the bin where they belong.

Answer 6

Definitely.
My dream was Howard to be humliated in party terms AND to lose his seat and it looks like my dream has come true.
Howard's reign of suppressing human rights and fair wrokplaces is over.

Answer 7

elated isn't quite the word... I have been anxious if not terribly fearful that Howard would sneak back in ...

GAWD it was even inflitrating my sleep with weird dreams......

I am JUST SO BLOODY RELIEVED.....

but hey ... Let's ( those of Us who wanted Howard gone) behave with dignity and just sigh a sigh of relief .. and not carry on with a lot of nasty stuff aimed at the Liberal party ....and it's supporters ....and let's just get on with being
Australians .. ALL of us.

to those Liberal supporters... who remained loyal and faithful.. I am sorry if you feel the population has done the wrong thing by voting as we have ......but please consider why we have ... and let's hope we can go forward.

RELIEF.

Answer 8

Goodbye poor Johnny sob sob tears of happiness bring the troops home including my husband

Answer 9

the green will have more votes than the nationals but no seats.
Why? this system is not fair.

Answer 10

It seems to me that those who want Howard out are those who want an easy way out. The IR laws are there for a reason and no, Howard is not out to destroy the country, in fact, he's done a pretty damn good job! Well, yeah, for that person that explained all those things about the IR laws, I totally agree with you. Now we will have more people getting paid for doing nothing and us working people, will continue to pay for that but with higher interest rates and the whole shebang. Well, God help us......I feel sorry for the country already